Just in time for the holidays, Westin is offering RockAuto customers TWO Exclusive Offers!

From now through December 31st 2019, RockAuto customers get a 10% Instant Rebate on select Westin Step/Nerf Bars, Running Boards, and Mount Kits. Available in a wide variety of styles, finishes, and widths, Westin's Step/Nerf Bars and Running Boards can seriously upgrade the exterior of your truck or SUV. While shopping, watch for the yellow "Promotion/Rebate" star in the catalog next to the part names, and put the select Westin parts in your cart to immediately save 10% off RockAuto's already reliably low prices. Find Step/Nerf Bars, Running Boards, and Running Board Mount Kits for your specific truck or SUV under "Accessories" in the RockAuto catalog.

While supplies last, Westin is also giving RockAuto customers complete access to their overstock inventory at incredibly low prices. From Grille Guards to Floor Mats, and everything in between, these items are guaranteed to go fast. If you want to see a list of all of the Wholesaler Closeout parts available for your vehicle(s), click the next to your vehicle's engine size in the RockAuto catalog, and then click the next to "Love a Bargain?"

There is no need to awake at dawn to chase down the sales and hope what you want is still available. RockAuto's prices are reliably low every day of the year. Start seeing more clearly with a Rain Repellant Glass Treatment or a Headlamp Restoration Kit. Roll back the years with new Floor Mats or Lift Supports. Make maintenance jobs easier with core garage equipment such as a Fender Cover, Creepers or Soldering Clamps.

Not sure if your recipient wants a Disc Brake Piston Tool or an ABS Modulator? Uncertain if DOT 4 or DOT 5 brake fluid is correct? Make your gift giving easy with a RockAuto Gift Certificate! A RockAuto Gift Certificate will let the recipient get the parts or tools he/she most needs!

Maxima.org is a comprehensive online resource and large community of Nissan Maxima owners and enthusiasts. This forum is active with friendly members sharing information on all aspects of these popular sedans, from answers and discussion regarding technical questions to wiper blade selection.

If you are the administrator or member of a forum and you would like to see your website featured in an upcoming newsletter and receive a discount code to share with your members, contact marketing@rockauto.com.

I am reminded of a story from years ago when GM throttle body fuel injection was a new thing on cars. A customer had his two-week-old Cadillac towed into the dealership with a "no-start" problem. For two weeks, every technician at the dealership worked on it trying to start it but to no avail. We checked for spark, compression, timing; pulled codes; set codes; checked fuel pressure; checked to see if the bumpers fell off... Every conceivable thing was done to this vehicle we could think of and still no start. Finally, one of the techs decided to check the fuel spray/pattern from the throttle body. He got a bit of the spray on a piece of paper, tried to light it with a cigarette lighter, and it did not ignite. The tank and fuel system were drained, filled with fresh fuel, and the car fired right up.

After contacting the owner, who then spoke to his younger children, it was discovered that the kids were playing "gas station" with the new Cadillac and garden hose.

Bruce in Oregon

Tell us about your most infamous auto repair blunder or unconventional fix. Use your woe to help others avoid similar mistakes or share off-the-wall solutions that worked (at least for a while!). Please email your story to flamur@rockauto.com. Include your mailing address and if you would like a RockAuto T-Shirt (please let us know your shirt size) or Hat if we publish your story. See the T-Shirts and Hats under Tools & Universal Parts in the RockAuto catalog. The story will be credited using only your first name and your vague geographic location (state, province, country, continent, etc.) so you can remain semi-anonymous!

What was responsible for nearly two thirds of the 60% increase in traffic congestion in San Francisco from 2010 to 2016?

Answer:
A. Food Trucks
B. Traffic Signal Timing
C. Transportation Network Companies such as Uber and Lyft

Answer below

Rhythmic thumps that sounded like something was stuck in a tire's tread, metallic grinding noises, loud creaks that conjured up images of ancient wooden sailing ships, wildly varying sounds interspersed with long periods of silence indicated that a wheel hub on my youngest daughter's first car, a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe, was failing.

Diagnosing a wheel hub failure and figuring out which wheel hub is the culprit often requires a little sleuthing. Raising the wheel off the ground and attempting to wiggle the top and bottom of the tire back and forth with your hands might identify loose wheel bearings on an old car, but that does not work with modern wheel hubs. Once the vehicle's weight is off the wheel, even a heavily worn wheel hub can hold itself together and shrug off relatively feeble pressure from human hands.

A failing wheel hub might get unusually hot. We used a thermometer to compare wheel hub temperatures but did not see any significant differences.

Driving the vehicle and listening for changes in noise during turns can help identify the culprit wheel hub, especially if it is a front wheel. During a left or right turn, the vehicle's weight shifts off the bad wheel hub and the noise diminishes. However, it is hard to know exactly how a failing bearing inside a wheel hub is oriented at any given moment. Maybe pressure from increased vehicle weight will actually push the failing bearing into correct alignment for a little while, reducing noise. The Hyundai had a bad rear wheel hub. By pressing my ear to the floor of the cargo area while my daughter drove, I thought the noise might be coming from the left side of the car.

Shiny new wheel hub

It was the vehicle's history that made us confident that the left rear wheel hub was the culprit. The car has over 90,000 miles (145,000 km) on it, so any of its wheel hubs could be close to worn out. A wheel hub is most likely to be "worn out" if it has hit a lot of potholes/curbs or if its tire has been left under-inflated. When my daughter got her Santa Fe, the TPMS dash light was on and a small nail in the left rear tire had slowly lowered the air pressure to about half of what it should have been. The previous driver just assumed a TPMS sensor was faulty and never saw any obvious change in any tire's sidewall that might indicate a flat. He apparently drove with ever decreasing tire pressure for more than 1,000 miles. (The tire store did not charge us anything to patch the tire and the TPMS light turned itself off.)

The strange noises did not start until months after my daughter got the car, but the damage was done. The shift in vehicle weight distribution and/or odd angle caused by the under-inflated tire coupled with 90,000+ miles of routine potholes had destroyed the wheel hub.

Replacing the wheel hub turned out to be a good confidence building project for my daughter. There was impressive but relatively simple disassembly (unbolted brake caliper, spindle nut, brake rotor and wheel hub). Once the shiny new wheel hub was in place, all the diverse horrifying sounds coming from the vehicle's rear end were completely gone.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

To read more of Toms articles, click this link and choose from story titles on the Newsletter Archives page.

This is my 1991 Jeep Grand Wagoneer in Hunter Green which is the rarest Grand Wagoneer color (supposedly only 150 ever built in that color).

My Jeep has traveled a lot. It started life in the US; I have tried to find exactly where but have never had any success. It moved to the Netherlands in the late 2000s where it lived near Amsterdam and was used to tow a race car. In about 2017, it moved briefly to Austria with a new owner. It was there that I saw it for sale, and it was love at first sight. I had wanted a Jeep exactly like this for years, so I flew to Austria to take a look at it and could not leave without buying it. Two weeks later, it was transported from Austria to the UK where I have now owned it for over two years.

In that time I have driven it as much as possible when there is not salt on the roads. It also makes a great Christmas tree hauler!

Unfortunately it was fairly neglected mechanically so has needed some work. Earlier this year, it had a full engine rebuild, new cooling system, brakes, front universal joints and wheel bearings, along with many other parts from RockAuto. Having three other older American vehicles in my fleet ensures that I know my FedEx driver by name!

Kind regards,
Bryn in the UK (RockAuto customer for over four years)

Share Your Hard Work
Do you purchase parts from RockAuto? If so, RockAuto would like to give you the opportunity to have your car or truck possibly featured in one (or occasionally more) of our publications such as the monthly newsletter, collector magnets, RockAuto social media or other commercial use. New, old, import, domestic, daily driver, trailer queen, classic, antique, we want to see them all! Please email flamur@RockAuto.com with the vehicle history, interesting details, your favorite images (tips for taking pictures of your car) and what parts from RockAuto you have used.

What was responsible for nearly two thirds of the 60% increase in traffic congestion in San Francisco from 2010 to 2016?

Answer:
A. Food Trucks
B. Traffic Signal Timing
Answer: C. Transportation Network Companies such as Uber and Lyft (source: https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/5/5/eaau2670)

Back up to trivia question